Insight on single cell proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance of Pt-Cu/C cathode

Abstract. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) properties of a proprietary PtCu /C alloy electrocatalyst produced on a multi-gram scale are characterized by the conventional rotating disc electrode (RDE) method and by constructing a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) proton exchange membrane (PEM) single cell. The PtCu nanoparticles become porous, enriched in Pt on the surface, and exhibit a high RDE activity. The single cell electrochemical study reveals that, contrary to most advanced catalysts, the high ORR activity can be transferred from the RDE to the MEA. In the latter case, at 0.9V, a mass activity of 0.53 A/mg, at a Pt electrode loading of 0.2 mg/cm, is achieved. However, at high current density, oxygen transport becomes limited. This is proven by the analysis of polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data with a Kulikovsky (physical) model. These indicate that this limitation is caused by the non-optimal microporosity of our catalyst, which hinders the mass transport of oxygen during ORR. Based on our prospective results, one can realistically plan for further efforts to bridge the gap between the RDE and MEA measurements completely and achieve high power densities for Pt-alloy electrocatalysts.